Just keep in mind that the original Encore isn’t really for espresso, mainly because of the large grind adjustments.
It’ll do the job for pressurized portafilters / dual walled baskets, but if you’re using traditional baskets (which you really need to if you want the best results) for an entry level espresso-capable grinder I’d recommend looking at the newer ESP version of the Baratza Encore, or the Sage Dose Control pro or Smart Grinder Pro.
Features and Benefits:
• 40 grind settings
• 40mm Etzinger conical steel burrs
• Simple on/off switch & on-demand pulse button
• Small footprint: 12cm wide, 15cm deep, 34cm tall (approx)
There are many conical burr grinders on the market at a slightly lower price which will deliver similar performance, but if you’re happy to invest a few quid more on a sturdier option from a very well known brand known for their customer service, you can’t really go wrong with the Baratza Encore if you ask me.
If you’re wanting a grinder for espresso with traditional baskets, I’d steer you towards the newer ESP version of this grinder.
The original encore has 40 grind settings all at the same level of adjustment, so what this means is that you don’t have the fine-tuning ability that you’d usually need for espresso.
The ESP version has slightly different burr material (Sharper M3 steel, slightly different burr geometry) but the main differenced is that the pitch of the thread changes mid way throught he grinding range.
So the first 20 settings result in a burr gap movement of just 9 microns per click, but when the adjustment gets to the second 20 adjustments the pitch of the thread increases so that from that point on each click changes the burr gap by 45 microns.
So what you end up with is 20 very fine adjustments for espresso and 20 much bigger adjustments for manual brew methods.
The original Encore however is just a good sturdy little burr grinder mainly for manual brew methods, and it really is quite a lot of grinder for the money.
If you're on a tight budget, and you want all of that budget to go on build quality and performance, for manual brew methods, I think the Baratza Encore is quite a difficult grinder to beat.
If you want to have a look at other grinder options please see: